Assessing Blood Supply to a Peripheral Portion of an Animal
First Claim
1. A post-operative, arterial patency monitoring system for monitoring patency of an artery of a limb comprising:
- a first probe positioned adjacent a first tissue area of a limb for producing first output signals dependent upon a first arterial blood supply to the first tissue area;
a second probe positioned adjacent a second different tissue area of the limb for producing second, different output signals dependent upon a second arterial blood supply to the second tissue area; and
means for processing the first output signals to produce a first arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply and a second, different, arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply;
means for processing the second output signals to produce the first arterial blood supply metric for the second arterial blood supply and the second arterial blood supply metric for the second arterial blood supply;
means for using a predetermined function that takes as its arguments at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the first arterial blood supply to produce a combined arterial patency metric for the first blood supply;
means for using the predetermined function that takes as its arguments at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the second arterial blood supply to produce a combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply;
means for comparing the combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply with the combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply; and
means for determining the patency of a first artery that provides the first arterial blood supply using a difference between the combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply and the combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A post-operative, arterial patency monitoring system for monitoring patency of an artery of a limb including: a first probe positioned adjacent a first tissue area of a limb for producing first output signals dependent upon a first arterial blood supply to the first tissue area; a second probe positioned adjacent a second different tissue area of the limb for producing second, different output signals dependent upon a second arterial blood supply to the second tissue area; and means for processing the first output signals to produce a first arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply and a second, different, arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply; means for processing the second output signals to produce the first arterial blood supply metric for the second arterial blood supply and the second arterial blood supply metric for the second arterial blood supply; means for using a predetermined function that takes as its arguments at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the first arterial blood supply to produce a combined arterial patency metric for the first blood supply; means for using the predetermined function that takes as its arguments at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the second arterial blood supply to produce a combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply; means for comparing the combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply with the combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply; and means for determining the patency of a first artery that provides the first arterial blood supply using a difference between the combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply and the combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A post-operative, arterial patency monitoring system for monitoring patency of an artery of a limb comprising:
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a first probe positioned adjacent a first tissue area of a limb for producing first output signals dependent upon a first arterial blood supply to the first tissue area; a second probe positioned adjacent a second different tissue area of the limb for producing second, different output signals dependent upon a second arterial blood supply to the second tissue area; and means for processing the first output signals to produce a first arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply and a second, different, arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply; means for processing the second output signals to produce the first arterial blood supply metric for the second arterial blood supply and the second arterial blood supply metric for the second arterial blood supply; means for using a predetermined function that takes as its arguments at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the first arterial blood supply to produce a combined arterial patency metric for the first blood supply; means for using the predetermined function that takes as its arguments at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the second arterial blood supply to produce a combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply; means for comparing the combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply with the combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply; and means for determining the patency of a first artery that provides the first arterial blood supply using a difference between the combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply and the combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A signal processing unit of a post-operative, arterial patency monitoring system for monitoring patency of an artery of a limb, the unit comprising:
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a first input for receiving first input signals from a first probe that are dependent upon a first arterial blood supply to a first tissue area of a limb; means for processing the first output signals to produce a first arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply and a second, different, arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply; means for using a predetermined function that takes as its arguments at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the first arterial blood supply to produce a combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply; a second input for receiving second input signals from a second probe that are dependent upon a second arterial blood supply to a second tissue area of the limb;
means for processing the second output signals to produce a first arterial blood supply metric for the second arterial blood supply and a second, different, arterial blood supply metric for the second arterial blood supply;means for using the predetermined function that takes as its arguments at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the second arterial blood supply to produce a combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply;
means for comparing the combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply with the combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply; andmeans for determining the patency of a first artery that provides the first arterial blood supply using a difference between the combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply and the combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A post-operative, arterial patency monitoring method for monitoring patency of an artery of a limb comprising:
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positioning a first probe adjacent a first tissue area of a limb fed by a first arterial blood supply such that it produces first output signals that are dependent upon the first arterial blood supply to the first tissue area; positioning a second probe adjacent a second tissue area of the limb fed by a second arterial blood supply such that it produces second output signals that are dependent upon the second arterial blood supply to the first tissue area; processing the first output signals to produce a first arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply and a second, different, arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply; combining at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the first arterial blood supply, using a predetermined function that takes as its arguments at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the first arterial blood supply, to produce a combined arterial patency metric for the first blood supply;
processing the second output signals to produce a first arterial blood supply metric for the second arterial blood supply and a second, different, arterial blood supply metric for the second arterial blood supply;combining at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the second arterial blood supply, using the predetermined function that takes as its arguments at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the second arterial blood supply, to produce a combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply; comparing the combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply with the combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply; and
determining the patency of a first artery that provides the first arterial blood supply using a difference between the combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply and the combined arterial patency metric for the second arterial blood supply.
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20. A post-operative, arterial patency monitoring system for monitoring patency of an artery of a limb comprising:
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a first probe positioned adjacent a first tissue area of a limb for producing first output signals dependent upon a first arterial blood supply to the first tissue area; means for processing the first output signals to produce a first arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply and a second, different, arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply; means for using a predetermined function that takes as its arguments at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the first arterial blood supply to produce a combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply; means for determining the patency of a first artery that provides the first arterial blood supply using the combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A post-operative, arterial patency monitoring method comprising:
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positioning a first probe adjacent a first tissue area of a limb such that it produces first output signals dependent upon a first arterial blood supply to the first tissue area; processing the first output signals to produce a first arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply and a second, different, arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply; combining the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the first arterial blood supply to produce, using a predetermined function that takes as its arguments at least the first and second arterial blood supply metrics for the first arterial blood supply, a combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply; and
determining the patency of a first artery that provides the first arterial blood supply using the combined arterial patency metric for the first arterial blood supply.
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30. A self-contained post-operative, arterial patency monitoring system integrated within a substrate for attachment to a tissue area of a limb comprising:
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a first probe for producing output signals dependent upon an arterial blood supply to the tissue area of the limb to which the substrate is attached; means for processing the output signals to produce a first arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply and a second, different, arterial blood supply metric for the first arterial blood supply; and visual indication means that indicate arterial perfusion of the tissue area, arranged to be driven in dependence upon the first and second arterial blood supply metrics. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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Specification